Importing Models

You can import 3D models in many file formats.

To import models:

  1. Do one of the following:
    • Click File > Import.
    • Click Project > Models > Import Model.
    • On the Models tab of the Palette, click Add and click Import Model.
  2. In the Import dialog box, browse to a model and click Open.
  3. In the Import Settings dialog box, set options and click OK.
When you import a model, coordinates within a model are in model space (relative to the model origin), and coordinates in a project are in project space (relative to the origin in the center of the scene). The separation of model space and project space preserves the relative sizes of multiple models in the same project.

Also, when you import a project into Visualize from any supported file format, the scene will be automatically scaled to fit your model.

You can set an option to automatically update models when the original file is updated and saved in the 3D software. If you set this option, the application notifies you when models are externally updated, and you can accept or ignore the change. To set this option, in the Import Settings dialog box, in the General section of the Geometry tab, select Monitor File.